City Council Adopts Food Action PlanPlan aims to increase access to healthy food, support local food production and strengthen local economy

SEATTLE - Seattle City Council today adopted the Food Action Plan, sending a clear signal that a healthy food system is a priority for the City. Highlights of the Action Plan include:

Expanding the Farm to Childcare program, which brings healthy food from local farmers into childcare sites, trains child care providers on nutrition and cooking and brings kids to local farms.

Expanding the Fresh Bucks program, which increases the affordability of healthy food for low-income Seattle residents.

Growing the successful P-Patch community gardening program, which will expand to 90 gardens throughout Seattle by the end of 2013.

Leasing underutilized City-owned land to urban farmers, who want to expand food production in Seattle.

"The Seattle Food Action Plan lays the groundwork for a just food system in Seattle," said Councilmember Richard Conlin. "Consumers, retailers, distributors and growers all benefit. The actions in the Plan will help get healthier, local food onto the tables and into the lunchboxes of families and children."

"Improving access to healthy food that comes from local growers is essential for healthy people and a healthy economy," said Mayor McGinn. "This Action Plan provides a strong path forward for that work."

Seattle's Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) developed the Food Action Plan in 2012, building on the work of the Local Food Action Initiative, passed by the City Council in 2008. In developing the plan, OSE engaged grassroots groups, food system leaders and business and community members from across the city. The recommendations in this plan will improve public health, strengthen the economy and enhance our environment.

"Food touches each of us in important ways," said Jill Simmons, Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment. "Building a sustainable food system - one where people have access to affordable and healthy food that is sustainably produced - is critical to advancing Seattle's climate protection, social justice and economic development goals."

The Food Action Plan identifies a suite of strategies and actions to achieve the following:

Increase Access to Healthy Food: All Seattle residents have enough to eat and access to affordable, local, healthy, sustainable and culturally-appropriate food.

Grow Local:It is easy to grow food in Seattle and in our region, for personal use or for business purposes.

Strengthen the Local Economy: Businesses that produce, process, distribute, and sell local and healthy food grow and thrive in Seattle.